Rising Storm
by xShadowheartx
Summary: MountainClan, GrassClan, and ForestClan have been at peace for seasons. Until now. GrassClan is weak from whitecough, and ForestClan's greedy nature is growing. All the while MountainClan is trapped between the two clans, asking for a truce. Six cats hold the weight of the clans on their shoulders.. if they can't stop the coming battle, no cat can.
1. Prophecy

**Prophecy**

_A storm will come at break of dawn,_

_And none but six can stop it_

_One with fur as light as snow,_

_And one with dappled pelt_

_One with heart still yet to thaw,_

_And one as swift as rabbits_

_One who shines like burning flames,_

_And one who can control it_


	2. Chapter 2: Creampaw

**Hello! This is my new story. I haven't posted anything on here in forever (about 3 years). I stopped halfway through my first story ****_On Raven's Wings_**** because of multiple reasons. I might go back and finish sometime, but for now I'm going to work on this one. Hope you all enjoy! Please review :) It gives me motivation to continue writing. **

**Chapter 1: Creampaw**

"Creampaw are you listening to me?" A voice snapped. Creampaw shook her head and looked over at her sister, Cherrypaw, who was staring expectantly at her, while their brother, Rabbitpaw, trotted quietly next to her.

"Sorry, what were you saying?" she meowed apologetically.

Cherrypaw sighed and rolled her eyes. "I was asking if you were excited to see anyone at the Gathering."

Creampaw shrugged. "This is our first Gathering. We don't know anyone from other clans besides when we see cats on border patrol."

"I guess." Cherrypaw was quiet for a few moments. "I wonder if there are any nice tom apprentices," she said playfully.

Rabbitpaw looked over at her sharply. "Don't even joke about that Cherrypaw. You know that's against the code."

"You guys are no fun," Cherrypaw complained, and raced ahead of them, her ginger and cream pelt flashing between trees.

Rabbitpaw sighed and looked over at Creampaw. "I worry about her," he said, watching his sister race away.

"Come on," Creampaw nudged him. "She knows the rules." Creampaw wouldn't admit how much she worried about their sister, who had always been the most adventuresome of the litter.

Rabbitpaw nodded and perked up slightly. While he was quiet, she could sense that he was just as excited as Cherrypaw, with his light brown fur fluffed out slightly.

They continued in silence for a while, walking between the pine trees that covered most of MountainClan's territory. Their camp was situated at the base of a large mountain range. The pines still grew around their camp, but the ground grew rocky closer to the mountain.

Creampaw glanced behind them to where their three mentors were walking side by side. Applefrost, her mentor, Snowheart, who was Rabbitpaw's , mentor, and Toadstripe, Cherrypaw's mentor. Applefrost caught her eye and waved her tail slightly in acknowledgment. Her mentor had a ginger pelt with white chest and paws, and she was reminded of Cherrypaw again.

Applefrost seemed to sense her unhappiness and caught up to her. "What's wrong? I thought you'd be excited to be going to your first Gathering!"

"I am excited…" Creampaw started. "I'm just worried about Cherrypaw."

Applefrost nodded. "I understand. I don't think having Toadstripe as a mentor helps either," she said looking back at the dark tabby tom. "He needs to teach her that life isn't all fun and games, but I think he hardly knows that himself." She shook her head. "Anyway, I'm sure Cherrypaw will be fine. Just stick close to her during the Gathering."

Creampaw nodded and focused on their path. Hawkstar, MountainClan's leader, was walking ahead of them with Lightningclaw, their deputy, and Mousefoot, the medicine cat. Robinfeather, another warrior, walked a few paces behind them.

"I wonder who GrassClan and ForestClan are bringing to the Gathering," Rabbitpaw said thoughtfully.

Creampaw shrugged. "Applefrost said that GrassClan is having a lot of problems. She said they might not even come."

Rabbitpaw was about to respond when Hawkstar raised his tail ahead of them to silence his clan. They had arrived at the bushes that encircled a small clearing at the edges of the three clans.

Cherrypaw had fallen back to stand next to them, and Creampaw could feel her sister quivering with excitement. "You're acting like a kit," she hissed, but Cherrypaw ignored her.

Hawkstar paused to listen for a moment, and then whisked his tail forward. The MountainClan cats raced through the bushes. Creampaw, Cherrypaw, and Rabbitpaw bunched together as they squished through the branches side by side. The three of them halted in awe once they were through.

The bushes that they had just come through stretched around the clearing, giving it a safe atmosphere. A short tree stood at one end with the leaves stripped from it, and it was here that Hawkstar went. There were cats everywhere. Creampaw guessed that GrassClan had ended up coming, as she could smell two strange scents in the air.

Creampaw turned to look at Applefrost, who was standing next to her. "There are so many cats," she said in a small voice.

Applefrost purred. "I know it can be a little overwhelming, but you'll get used to it." She nodded her head towards a group of cats. "Those are GrassClan cats."

The cats looked ill and underfed. They gazed around at the other cats, and Creampaw noticed that they didn't mingle like MountainClan and ForestClan were. "Why do they look so sick?" she asked her mentor.

"We don't know. GrassClan is very proud. They don't want to admit their weakness to us, especially with ForestClan's greedy nature."

Creampaw looked around at the other unknown cats, who were apparently ForestClan. They were all large and sleek from eating well and walked confidently among the other cats.

Cherrypaw was bouncing up and down from excitement. "Can we talk to cats from other clans?"

"Yes, you just have to be quiet once the leaders start talking," Toadstripe told her.

"Come on!" Cherrypaw said and bounced away towards a group of ForestClan apprentices. Creampaw sighed and followed her reluctantly, Rabbitpaw trailing behind her.

The two ForestClan apprentices, a silver tabby she-cat and a black tom, looked at them with interest as they approached.

"I'm Cherrypaw," Cherrypaw announced to the two apprentices, "and this is Creampaw and Rabbitpaw."

The sliver she-cat stared at Cherrypaw. "Um. Well I'm Riverpaw and this is Spiderpaw." The black tom nodded.

"Is this your first Gathering?" Creampaw asked politely.

Riverpaw twitched her ears. "No this is our fourth. We'll be warriors soon."

Creampaw narrowed her eyes. "Oh. Well it was nice meeting you. Come on Cherrypaw," she nudged her sister away from the two apprentices. Spiderpaw continued to stare at them as they walked away.

"Well they seemed nice," Rabbitpaw said sarcastically.

Creampaw huffed in agreement. "That she-cat is so rude!" She noticed that her sister was quiet for once, and she hoped silently that she was no longer so eager to befriend cats from the other two clans.

A yowl sounded from across the clearing and the siblings looked around in surprise. They saw the three leaders, Hawkstar, Snakestar, and Shadestar, standing together on the lone tree. Creampaw could see Snakestar's ribs as the GrassClan leader turned to say something to Hawkstar.

"Look at Snakestar," Creampaw whispered to Cherrypaw and Rabbitpaw. They watched the she-cat as she talked to their leader.

"I wonder what's wrong with them," Rabbitpaw said.

Creampaw was about to reply when she realized that all the other clan cats had grown silent and were watching the leaders intently.

Hawstar stood up on the branch while the other two leaders sat quietly. "MountainClan is doing well," he began. "Leaf-bare was hard, but with Newleaf here we are doing well. Mossdapple just had three kits; Sootkit, Dewkit, and Troutkit." Murmurs of congratulations echoed through the clan cats. "Honeypool is also pregnant with Spottedhawk's kits. MountainClan is thriving." Hawkstar stepped back and sat down on the branch.

Shadestar stepped up next, the ForestClan leader's dark gray pelt melting into the shadows around him. "ForestClan is also thriving," the gray tom said. Creampaw narrowed her eyes at the smugness in his voice. "Our clan is bigger than ever. We are getting so big, that we have been considering expanding our territory…" he glanced at Snakestar who was glaring at him defiantly. "We don't know in what direction we will be expanding yet."

Creampaw looked at Applefrost in confusion. "What ways could they expand their territory?"

"They could either stretch their territory back further into the forest," Applefrost whispered. "But that might be hard for them to do. There are rogues that live there and probably foxes and badgers. Their other option," she glanced at the GrassClan cats, "is to territory from another clan, and GrassClan is looking like easy prey right now."

Rabbitpaw looked shocked. "But the clans have been peaceful recently. Would Shadestar really try to take some of their territory?

"I wouldn't put it past him," Applefrost replied.

Creampaw turned her attention back to the leaders. Snakestar was stepping forward now. "GrassClan had a hard time this winter as the rabbits burrow deep underground, but we will soon be strong as ever. We also have two new healthy kits," she said with a hard look at the other two leaders. With one last glare at the two toms she leapt down from the tree and stalked away. The GrassClan cats fell into step behind her as they raced off.

Creampaw, Cherrypaw, and Rabbitpaw looked at each other. Trouble was coming, but how soon?


End file.
